Upper Beach Drive to Remain Closed to Cars Year Round

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there spillover traffic now? Because I haven't noticed any. As such, there would be no reason to make any other changes.

Yes, there is spillover traffic, and there has been for quite some time, with Beach Drive closed, Oregon Avenue under construction, and the elimination of the E6 bus line. The traffic on Rittenhouse, Western, Nevada and Broad Branch near where I live has increased significantly such that we have had to have speed bumps installed on many streets to slow folks down. Streams of cars go up and down these once-quiet streets, from morning to evening, as drivers seek alternative ways to communte to schools and work. I dread what will happen once construction begins on Connecticut Avenue.

All of us do not enjoy a 5-day-a-week WFH situation, and my employer, at least, is starting to make noises about having everyone return in-person. So, as other employers move to make the same decision, it's inevitable that there will be more spillover traffic. Not everyone lives close to public transportation, and expecting them to find new jobs that are closer to their workplace is utterly ridiculous. I know that I would not be in a position to buy a new house in this current market or find a new job at my age. Just the facts.

For me, the bus service across town to Friendship Heights via the E4 line is unpredictable with buses arriving back-to-back and off-schedule, with long waits in between. There is no bus service up Western east of the Circle, and in the morning, there are long lines of cars on Western from Chevy Chase Circle to Pinehurst Circle. I have a 25-minute walk to the Metro from my house. Luckily, I can do this; however, I recognize that others cannot and have made the choice to drive. I wish I could afford to do so, as it would cut an hour-long commute from just A to B to 20 minutes; however, parking is too expensive. Also expensive is the Metrorail, and price hikes for this service are on the table for discussion.

Beach Drive should not have been closed until folks are not expected to report in-person to offices downtown AND public transportation options are more affordable and robust.

Same thing on our side - 16th is even more mobbed, people are flying down Alaska, Aspen, Luzon, and 14th like they're 6 lane freeways. Some streets have gotten speed bumps but most have not (just had the speed limits that were already being ignored lowered to 20 from 25, with zero acknowledgement or enforcement) and it's just a complete madhouse. Vision Zero my @ss. But hey, people with extremely flexible WFH jobs that allow daily midday gadabouts that also live in a very small slice of the city don't have to walk on trails when they're in RCP anymore, so I guess that's all that matters.

[Anonymous]

I walk all the time in the Rittenhouse/Oregon area. Seriously, the car traffic is no different than it was before. I have lived in the area since the early 1990's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there spillover traffic now? Because I haven't noticed any. As such, there would be no reason to make any other changes.

Yes, there is spillover traffic, and there has been for quite some time, with Beach Drive closed, Oregon Avenue under construction, and the elimination of the E6 bus line. The traffic on Rittenhouse, Western, Nevada and Broad Branch near where I live has increased significantly such that we have had to have speed bumps installed on many streets to slow folks down. Streams of cars go up and down these once-quiet streets, from morning to evening, as drivers seek alternative ways to communte to schools and work. I dread what will happen once construction begins on Connecticut Avenue.

All of us do not enjoy a 5-day-a-week WFH situation, and my employer, at least, is starting to make noises about having everyone return in-person. So, as other employers move to make the same decision, it's inevitable that there will be more spillover traffic. Not everyone lives close to public transportation, and expecting them to find new jobs that are closer to their workplace is utterly ridiculous. I know that I would not be in a position to buy a new house in this current market or find a new job at my age. Just the facts.

For me, the bus service across town to Friendship Heights via the E4 line is unpredictable with buses arriving back-to-back and off-schedule, with long waits in between. There is no bus service up Western east of the Circle, and in the morning, there are long lines of cars on Western from Chevy Chase Circle to Pinehurst Circle. I have a 25-minute walk to the Metro from my house. Luckily, I can do this; however, I recognize that others cannot and have made the choice to drive. I wish I could afford to do so, as it would cut an hour-long commute from just A to B to 20 minutes; however, parking is too expensive. Also expensive is the Metrorail, and price hikes for this service are on the table for discussion.

Beach Drive should not have been closed until folks are not expected to report in-person to offices downtown AND public transportation options are more affordable and robust.

Same thing on our side - 16th is even more mobbed, people are flying down Alaska, Aspen, Luzon, and 14th like they're 6 lane freeways. Some streets have gotten speed bumps but most have not (just had the speed limits that were already being ignored lowered to 20 from 25, with zero acknowledgement or enforcement) and it's just a complete madhouse. Vision Zero my @ss. But hey, people with extremely flexible WFH jobs that allow daily midday gadabouts that also live in a very small slice of the city don't have to walk on trails when they're in RCP anymore, so I guess that's all that matters.

Or retired people. Or people who work off-hour shifts. Or any number of other reasons. Get out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great for UMC people who work from home, in predominantly white neighborhoods, sucks for all those of us who *gasp* have to work for a living. And what a giant waste of money rehabbing Beach Drive just before the pandemic. At least that gave us all lots of experience with alternate routes through those same mostly UMC white neighborhoods.

But I'll also go into the office less often, especially if they go forward with the Conn Ave bike lanes. More of my money will be spent in MD rather than DC.

Sucks for people who aren't wealthy enough to live so close to where they can work that they can bike.

Drivers in D.C. are disproportionately black; bicyclists are almost entirely white. We can see whose favored form of transportation is getting priority here.

Beach Drive was mostly used by white Maryland drivers. Those who walk, run, and bike on Beach Drive include all races but probably a plurality of Black walkers and runners. Remember that the neighborhoods on the east side of the northern section of the Park are predominately Black.

You are mistaken to look at this as primarily as a transportation issue as bike commuting is only one use of the closed section of Beach Drive. I use the road almost daily for exercise and during the time that I am there it is predominately used for recreational purposes.

While that is true, runners/walkers used the trails surrounding Beach Drive prior to it being closed. The road is really the only option for bicyclists, so closing the road greatly favored bikers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They need to dig up the road and let it be a gravel/dirt/mud path. If it’s going to be closed permanently to vehicles, then it shouldn’t have a pavement/non-permeable surface.

Agree. Give it back to nature completely.

They should also reduce the annual budget for the park thanks to the cost’s savings from no longer needing to maintain the road.

+100

Not too mention eliminated costs from mowing, tree trimming, wood debris clean up and trash removal. The harder it is for people to access, the more natural it becomes, and the less mess and trash to clean up behind people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sucks. When I bought my home, I looked at road options for commuting, and that was a major draw
Now, if there's a blockage of Military Rd after 14th st to StJohns, what do emergency vehicles do? Where's the workaround?
Very shortsighted decision

Well, hopefully cars get out of the way of the ambulance. Not entirely sure ambulances would have used Beach drive anyway

That's the issue, there's NO PLACE for cars to go. It's 2 lanes each way with walls on either side. Take a look at a map of the area

and turn lanes at many intersections, so, plenty of places for cars to get out of the way.

Wrong. Clearly you haven't actually driven that stretch. Some of the rods are underpasses to military, NOT intersections

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's great for UMC people who work from home, in predominantly white neighborhoods, sucks for all those of us who *gasp* have to work for a living. And what a giant waste of money rehabbing Beach Drive just before the pandemic. At least that gave us all lots of experience with alternate routes through those same mostly UMC white neighborhoods.

But I'll also go into the office less often, especially if they go forward with the Conn Ave bike lanes. More of my money will be spent in MD rather than DC.

This was a federal government decision, not a D.C. government decision (and the money to rehab the street before the pandemic was federal money, too), so while you're welcome to spend more of your money wherever you like, you're not spiting the people who made the call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sucks. When I bought my home, I looked at road options for commuting, and that was a major draw
Now, if there's a blockage of Military Rd after 14th st to StJohns, what do emergency vehicles do? Where's the workaround?
Very shortsighted decision

Well, hopefully cars get out of the way of the ambulance. Not entirely sure ambulances would have used Beach drive anyway

That's the issue, there's NO PLACE for cars to go. It's 2 lanes each way with walls on either side. Take a look at a map of the area

and turn lanes at many intersections, so, plenty of places for cars to get out of the way.

Wrong. Clearly you haven't actually driven that stretch. Some of the rods are underpasses to military, NOT intersections

I was referring to Connectucut Avenue, not Beach Drive.

Emergency vehices will always be able to access Beach Drive. This has never been controversial or a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sucks. When I bought my home, I looked at road options for commuting, and that was a major draw
Now, if there's a blockage of Military Rd after 14th st to StJohns, what do emergency vehicles do? Where's the workaround?
Very shortsighted decision

Well, hopefully cars get out of the way of the ambulance. Not entirely sure ambulances would have used Beach drive anyway

That's the issue, there's NO PLACE for cars to go. It's 2 lanes each way with walls on either side. Take a look at a map of the area

and turn lanes at many intersections, so, plenty of places for cars to get out of the way.

Wrong. Clearly you haven't actually driven that stretch. Some of the rods are underpasses to military, NOT intersections

I was referring to Connectucut Avenue, not Beach Drive.

Emergency vehices will always be able to access Beach Drive. This has never been controversial or a question.

I have a problem with that.

Why are emergency vehicles exempt? And without other traffic allowed to use the road, why would there even be the most common type of emergency to respond to - car crashes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sucks. When I bought my home, I looked at road options for commuting, and that was a major draw
Now, if there's a blockage of Military Rd after 14th st to StJohns, what do emergency vehicles do? Where's the workaround?
Very shortsighted decision

Well, hopefully cars get out of the way of the ambulance. Not entirely sure ambulances would have used Beach drive anyway

That's the issue, there's NO PLACE for cars to go. It's 2 lanes each way with walls on either side. Take a look at a map of the area

and turn lanes at many intersections, so, plenty of places for cars to get out of the way.

Wrong. Clearly you haven't actually driven that stretch. Some of the rods are underpasses to military, NOT intersections

I was referring to Connectucut Avenue, not Beach Drive.

Emergency vehices will always be able to access Beach Drive. This has never been controversial or a question.

I have a problem with that.

Why are emergency vehicles exempt? And without other traffic allowed to use the road, why would there even be the most common type of emergency to respond to - car crashes?

Cars can use most of the road now. There are two stretches closed to cars. they are the same two stretches that have been closed for the last two years and for the weekends for the 40 years prior. This isn't really new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great for UMC people who work from home, in predominantly white neighborhoods, sucks for all those of us who *gasp* have to work for a living. And what a giant waste of money rehabbing Beach Drive just before the pandemic. At least that gave us all lots of experience with alternate routes through those same mostly UMC white neighborhoods.

But I'll also go into the office less often, especially if they go forward with the Conn Ave bike lanes. More of my money will be spent in MD rather than DC.

Sucks for people who aren't wealthy enough to live so close to where they can work that they can bike.

Drivers in D.C. are disproportionately black; bicyclists are almost entirely white. We can see whose favored form of transportation is getting priority here.

Beach Drive was mostly used by white Maryland drivers. Those who walk, run, and bike on Beach Drive include all races but probably a plurality of Black walkers and runners. Remember that the neighborhoods on the east side of the northern section of the Park are predominately Black.

You are mistaken to look at this as primarily as a transportation issue as bike commuting is only one use of the closed section of Beach Drive. I use the road almost daily for exercise and during the time that I am there it is predominately used for recreational purposes.

While that is true, runners/walkers used the trails surrounding Beach Drive prior to it being closed. The road is really the only option for bicyclists, so closing the road greatly favored bikers.

Cyclists shouldn’t be permitted on it either. They’re a “vehicle”, as they will always remind you of when they use the roads.

But now suddenly when the road is closed to traffic, they’re NOT a vehicle?

Nope. Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great for UMC people who work from home, in predominantly white neighborhoods, sucks for all those of us who *gasp* have to work for a living. And what a giant waste of money rehabbing Beach Drive just before the pandemic. At least that gave us all lots of experience with alternate routes through those same mostly UMC white neighborhoods.

But I'll also go into the office less often, especially if they go forward with the Conn Ave bike lanes. More of my money will be spent in MD rather than DC.

Sucks for people who aren't wealthy enough to live so close to where they can work that they can bike.

Drivers in D.C. are disproportionately black; bicyclists are almost entirely white. We can see whose favored form of transportation is getting priority here.

Beach Drive was mostly used by white Maryland drivers. Those who walk, run, and bike on Beach Drive include all races but probably a plurality of Black walkers and runners. Remember that the neighborhoods on the east side of the northern section of the Park are predominately Black.

You are mistaken to look at this as primarily as a transportation issue as bike commuting is only one use of the closed section of Beach Drive. I use the road almost daily for exercise and during the time that I am there it is predominately used for recreational purposes.

While that is true, runners/walkers used the trails surrounding Beach Drive prior to it being closed. The road is really the only option for bicyclists, so closing the road greatly favored bikers.

Cyclists shouldn’t be permitted on it either. They’re a “vehicle”, as they will always remind you of when they use the roads.

But now suddenly when the road is closed to traffic, they’re NOT a vehicle?

Nope. Wrong.

It's so wild that there's something between a pedestrian and a car. I'm shocked that we're able to distinguish levels between. When did we get so creative? Next thing you're going to tell me there are different laws for 18-wheelers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sucks. When I bought my home, I looked at road options for commuting, and that was a major draw
Now, if there's a blockage of Military Rd after 14th st to StJohns, what do emergency vehicles do? Where's the workaround?
Very shortsighted decision

Well, hopefully cars get out of the way of the ambulance. Not entirely sure ambulances would have used Beach drive anyway

That's the issue, there's NO PLACE for cars to go. It's 2 lanes each way with walls on either side. Take a look at a map of the area

and turn lanes at many intersections, so, plenty of places for cars to get out of the way.

Wrong. Clearly you haven't actually driven that stretch. Some of the rods are underpasses to military, NOT intersections

I was referring to Connectucut Avenue, not Beach Drive.

Emergency vehices will always be able to access Beach Drive. This has never been controversial or a question.

I have a problem with that.

Why are emergency vehicles exempt? And without other traffic allowed to use the road, why would there even be the most common type of emergency to respond to - car crashes?

The ambulance could be going from one place to another, not going to a place in the park. It's hard to move an ambulance in dense car traffic, but pedestrians and bicyclists can clear a road really quickly by moving off to the side.

[Anonymous]

Doesn’t DDOT need to re-do their traffic impact study of Connecticut Avenue Option C with the now-planned closure of Beach Drive? The Post article show Beach Drive as the closest N-S alternative to Connecticut Ave. But that won’t be an option going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t DDOT need to re-do their traffic impact study of Connecticut Avenue Option C with the now-planned closure of Beach Drive? The Post article show Beach Drive as the closest N-S alternative to Connecticut Ave. But that won’t be an option going forward.

No, because Beach has been closed for over two years. We can see how it is going to be, which is not different than it is today.

Really a nothingburger.